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Thera 3.8: Passika
Tipitaka >> Sutta Pitaka >> Khuddaka Nikaya >> Theragatha >> Thera(177):Passika Adapted from the Archaic Translation by Mrs. C.A.F. Rhys Davids. Commentary (Atthakatha) By Acariya Dhammapala Note: 'C' in Pali text is pronounced as 'ch' as in 'China'. ---- Chapter III. three Verses =177. Passika= Reborn in this Buddha-age in the family of a Kosalan brahmin(priest), he saw the Lord(Buddha) work the twin miracle,1 and believed. Entering the Monk’s order he fell ill while performing the studies of a monk. His own people attended him and healed him. But he, greatly stirred by his recovery, pressed forward his study, and acquired sixfold abhiññā(higher knowledge). Upon that he went through the air to his own people, and established them in the Refuges and the Precepts. And some of his kin, so established, died and were reborn in heaven. When Passika waited on the Lord(Buddha), the latter asked after the health of his kin. And Passika thus made answer: ---- 240 Ekopi saddho medhāvī assaddhānīdha ñātinaɱ,|| Dhammaṭṭho sīlasampanno hoti atthāya bandhunaɱ, || || 241 Niggayha anukampāya codito ñātayo mayā,|| Ñātibandhavapemena kāraɱ katvāna bhikkhūsu.|| || 242 Te abbhatītā kālaɱkatā pattā te tividhaɱ sukhaɱ,|| Bhataro mayuhaɱ mātā ca modanti kāmakimino' ti.|| || ---- 240 Though I alone, among unbelieving kin, Had faith and wit enough, discerned the Path(Dhamma) And with virtue, this was for their good. 241 For see! mine own folk, whom for pity's sake I took to task, aroused and instructed by me, Through their affection and their piety Constrained, towards the Monks did good work. 242 They who are now gone hence, ending this span, They reap much happiness among the gods. Brothers of mine are there, my mother too, Glad for the pleasures that they now enjoy. ---- 1 See p. 36, n. 1. ---- =3.8 177 Commentary on the stanza of Vassikatthera= The stanza starting with eko pi saddho medhāvī constitutes that of the venerable Thera Vassika. What is the origin? This one also, having done devoted deeds of service toward former Buddhas, performing acts of merit in this and that existence, was reborn in a family home and on having attained the age of intelligence, he, one day, happened to have met the Master, became pious-minded and offered fruits of the wave-leaved fig tree to Him. On account of that act of merit, he wandered about his rounds of repeated rebirths among divine and human beings, and was reborn in a brahmin family in the kingdom of Kosala when this Buddha arose; having gained the name Vassika, he, on his having come of age, say the twin-miracle of the Master, aptly gained pious faith, became a monk, and doing his monk’s duties he became ill. Thereupon, his relatives attended upon him with medicine prescribed by the physician who all-round examined (paridiṭṭha) him and had him cured of his disease. Having recovered from that ailment, he bacame remorseful, indulged in developing deep meditation (bhāvanā) and became an Arahant with six sorts of higher-knowledge. Hence, has it been said in the Apadāna.-- “After having seen amidst the forest, Buddha Atthadassī, full of fame, I became pious-minded and good-hearted and offered fig fruit, to him. It was eighteen aeons (kappa) ago that I offered fruit; I do not remember any evil existnece; this is the fruitful result of fruit offering. My depravity had been burnt. … Buddha’s instruction had been carried out.” Having, however, become an Arahant with six sorts of higher knowledge (abhiññā), he went to the presence of his relatives, stood in the sky, taught the truth (dhamma), and had them become established in the (three) refuges and moral precepts. Some of them died and were reborn in heaven (sagga) because of their having been established in refuges and moral precepts. Then the Master asked him who had reached near Him for attending upon Buddha thus: “O Vassika! How is the health of your relatives?” He spoke three stanzas in order to speak to the Master of the benefit done by himself to his relatives:– 240. Even a single wise man who has pious faith (saddho), stood in truth (dhamma), endowed with moral precepts is of benefit to his related kinsmen who here are lacking in pious faith. 241. “Out of compassion for them, my relatives were kept under (niggayha) and urged (codita) by me, owing to my love (pema) for my related kinsmen, making them to be respectful toward monks. When they died and passed away (abbhatīta) they have attained to the blissful Tāvatiṃsa; my mother and brothers are joyful because they have got what they wanted. There, the meaning of the first stanza is: Saddho means:he who has pious faith, by way of fruition of action and faith in the three gems; medhāvī means: a wise man who but because of that, owing to being associated with such knowledge as the knowledge of the state of possessing one’s own kamma, etc. dhammaṭṭho means: because of the condition of having stood in the act (dhamma) of advice of the Master, as well as in the mine transcendental truths (dhamma); sīlasampanno means: endowed with moral predepts by way of good moral conduct (ācāra), moral practice of the path and fruition; eko pi means: alone though he is; asaddhānaṃ means: of the unfaithful, because of the absence of pious faith according as said; idha means: in this world; ñātīnaṃ means: of the relatives because of such meaning as should be understood as “These are ours:” bandhu means: likewise, they are kinsmen because of the meaning of bondage with the binding of love; atthāya hoti means: is for the welfare of related kinsmen who had gained the name “bandhu.” Another stanza has been said starting with “Niggayha” in order to show the said meaning, making it referring to himself rather than being general (sādhāraṇato). There, niggayha anukampāya, codito ñātayo mayā means: relatives were advised by me after having kept them under (niggahetvā) thus:– now also you are poverty-striken, not having done any good deed; do not enjoy again in future any form of all-round depravity (kilesa). Ñātibandhavapemena means: because of love which has happened (pavatta) in this manner as: “There are our kinsmen;” kāraṃ katvāna bhikkhūsu means; not being able to transgress (atikkamituṃ) my discipline, they have become pious-minded, and have done honour (sammāna) and hospitality (sakkāra) to monks, by offering such recluses requisites as robes and so on as well as by attending upon them; the abbhatītā kālaṅkatā means: having become dead, they have passed beyond this world. Te means: again a mere particle (nipātanatta). Tidavaṃ sukhaṃ means: the bliss pertaining to the divine world; in other words, they have attained the Tāvatiṃsa heaven’s which they wanted (iṭṭhaṃ). Who, however, were they? He said: “Bhātaro mayhaṃ mātā ca, modanti kāmakāmino,” means: they are specially delighted being endowed with sensual pleasures of meterial character according as desired by themselfves, thus, is the meaning. The Commentary on the stanza of the Thera Vassika is complete. ----